The Fox and the Rat
by SchizoInsanity
Summary: After what happened with Damien and the Merlaut job, Aiden swore he'd never partner up with another hacker like that again. Too bad Jordi isn't one for listening. (Warnings and what not inside)


**This was idea was given to me by auraspirit157 as a one shot idea but I decided to get a little carried away with it because that's what I do. A whole "what if Aiden and Defalt were partners". It sort of follows the video game, sort of. Don't expect exact. You will not get it.**

**And yes, I did put my OC in there as back up for Defalt. Deal with it, folks. This is not up for debate. *Shrugs***

**Word of Warning: The rating (T) is for the language and the violence. There will be sexual content later , nothing heavy but no worries, I'll post another warning when those pop for those of you who are sensitive to that kind of thing.**

* * *

_ He stood in front of the house with a smile on his face. It was a quiet, cute little neighborhood. Definitely a great place to raise kids. Without further delay he started to approach the house. He pushed open the gate, slowly walked along the small pathway and practically jumped up the small set of stairs. Now he was standing in front of the door prepared to ring the doorbell but he didn't get a chance, something in the window caught his eye. He walked over and crouched down with a grin on his face. There was a little girl with blonde hair standing there with her face and hands pressed against the glass. She was grinning real big at him and soon it turned into giggles._

_"Hi, Lena."_

_"Uncle Aiden!" The little girl bolted away from the window. Aiden didn't even get a chance to get to his feet. The door was opened and his niece knocked him over. One hand came to rest on her back. Both of her tiny arms were wrapped around his neck._

_"Lena, what did mom-" A young boy peeked out and was about to scold the girl but his look of disappointment was replaced with a grin that could have matched the girl's. "Uncle Aiden!"_

_"Hey, Jacks." Aiden smiled as he stretched out his free arm. The boy bolted over and hugged his uncle tightly. The kids laughed and talked at the same time, not even noticing their mother standing near the door with a less than amused look on her face. Aiden did though and he just grinned sheepishly at her. Nicole shook her head and walked over, ruffling her brother's hair._

_"Hey, big brother," She said as she sat on the porch. "What brings you here?"_

_"I can't come visit my family?" Aiden joked lightly. "I thought I'd come see you and the kids. You know, maybe we could go and do something." Lena and Jacks gasped._

_"Please, mom?" Jacks pleaded._

_"Please, mommy?" Lena joined in with a cute pout. Nicole had to laugh. Her kids absolutely adored her brother and she couldn't blame them. He was a great guy. Jacks took after him quite a bit and Lena looked at him like he was some kind of superhero. He was always there for them whenever they needed him._

_"Oh, I guess we can. But you gotta get washed up and dressed." Nicky laughed when the kids screamed and made a mad dash for the house. She followed with a smile. Before she walked into the house she shot a look over at Aiden that said he was paying for them all. He rubbed the back of his head and got to his feet, following her inside. He passed Jacks' room and saw him pulling him a black denim jacket and a baseball cap. Nicky disappeared into her room and shut the door. As he walked towards the kitchen and noticed Lena's door was closed too._

_"Guess I wait," He said as he sat on the stool at the counter. Time passed and only Jacks and Nicky walked out of their rooms, the young boy was eager to get out of the house. Now they were waiting on Lena. Aiden approached the door and knocked._

_"Lena? Sweetheart, what's taking so long? I'm sure whatever you picked out is cute and yes, you can bring your stuffed lamb." Aiden's smile faltered when there was no response. He pushed open the door and his eyes went wide when he saw her body on the floor._

_"Lena!"_

* * *

"Lena!"

Aiden Pearce shot up from his bed with one hand stretched out in front of him. His eyes were filled with something, sadness maybe, when he realized that it was reaching out for something that wasn't there. Lena wasn't there. Slowly he brought it to his chest and patted it lightly. His breathing was a bit heavy and his chest hurt every time he inhaled. When he finally got it all under control he looked around and realized that he was still in in his room at the Owl Motel. He wasn't at Nicky's house. His attention was turned to his hands.

"She dies every time," He whispered as he brought them up to his face and wiped away the thin sheet of sweat that formed. "Why can't it ever just be a good memory? Why does she have to die every time I see her face? Is this punishment for what I did?"

He groaned as he rolled out of bed and stretched his back until everything popped back into place. Lately everything was such a chore; getting up, going out, basic things like eating and sleeping. He walked over to a mini fridge he kept stocked and pulled out every hacker's fuel: coffee. He took a sip and shuddered as it trickled down his throat and into his belly. It certainly jerked his mind awake but he still wasn't ready to face the world yet. He took a seat at the desk and looked at the screens, nothing new on the news. Just talk about DedSec and Mayor Rushmore.

"It's all a joke to me," He muttered as he downed the rest of his coffee. It left a bitter after taste in his mouth that would need be scrubbed away before he headed out. He heaved himself off the chair but before he could take a step his phone went off. One glance at the picture told him it was the fixer he hired, Jordi Chin. The picture was rather odd since it was of the Asian man with a high powered sniper rifle in his hands and a smirk on his face.

"It suits him, I guess." He hit the green button.

"Time to wake up, princess. Your poor people need you." Aiden rolled his eyes. Jordi always loved to make jokes, no matter how stupid or unamusing they were.

"Jordi, have you made any progress with finding the shooter?" Aiden asked with a tone that would surely make the fixer understand he wasn't in the mood for playing around.

"Come on, Pearce. Laugh a little, it's good for the soul." There's a pause. "You do have a soul don't you, Aiden?" Another chuckle. "Of course you do. But anyway, there has been no progress on finding the little weasel but no fears. I've found some more help."

"Great, now get back to work and stop-"

"Ah, not so fast, my friend. You and I are taking a little ride, I won't even charge you for it." Aiden blinked at those words. "What? Not going to ask where we're going? Not even a 'what the hell, Jordi'? Nothing?"

"Alright. What the hell, Jordi. Where are you fucking dragging me?"

"Now you're just being a jackass. But alright, since you asked so politely. We're heading for a club in the Loop. It's called Dot Connexion. It's where digital artists gather and make fools of themselves." Jordi snorted. "It's got no class, no taste, it's all garbage."

"So, why the hell are we going there?" Aiden questioned.

"Because there is one piece of art I'm interested in and we're going to get it. Hopefully it will be useful to us. Now be outside tonight around... let's say nine. I need to wrap up a few things before then." Before Aiden could respond the call was cut. He sighed and popped his phone on the charger before walking over to the dresser. He pulled out his usual attire and quickly pulled it on before going to scrub out the bitter coffee taste and wash off the sweat.

"Somehow I feel like I'm going to regret getting out of bed today."

* * *

Jordi did indeed pick him up at nine on the dot. The car he rode up in was gorgeous, a bright red Papavero. The sun shined off the sweet paint job. Aiden did have to admire it. They were expensive cars. Reliable for when you trying to get out of a situation but their durability was another story. They wrecked easily. He got into the passenger seat and looked over at the grinning Asian man.

"Love the car, don't ya? I got it off of a friend," Jordi asked, his smile never faltered. Aiden rolled his eyes, not really believing that it came from a friend. "Oh come on, Pearce. Even a man like you has to appreciate this beauty. Do you know how many dead bodies I've transported in one of these things?"

"The real question is, do I want to know?" Jordi chuckled and shook his head. "Are we going to this club or are we going to continue to swap murder stories?"

"You need to relax, man." The fixer pushed a button and suddenly warmth was radiating from the seat. Aiden blinked a bit, surprised by how comfortable it felt. "Heated seats for those cold days in Chicago. This is true art."

"Stop dicking around and drive," Aiden commanded. The fixer snorted and muttered 'unappreciative jerk' before stepping on the gas pedal.

"You know what, Aiden? I don't really-" Jordi glanced over at the hacker and his words died down to a satisfied grin. He noticed how the older man's body relaxed into the warm leather.

"What were you saying, Jordi?"

"I was saying that I don't really like this paint job. Should have picked another color, something darker and finer. Maybe green," The fixer said with a subtle smile.

* * *

They parked outside the Ambrose Theater, the place that was hosting this club. Aiden stepped out of the car and stared in amazement at the line that was wrapping around the building. He knew this place was popular but this was quite the crowd. An arm was slung over his shoulder. He flinched a bit even though he knew it was Jordi.

"Well, what do you think? Quite the hot spot, isn't it? It's got everything. Beautiful women, delicious drinks served by beautiful women, music for-"

"Let me guess? For beautiful women to dance to?" Aiden said with a small smirk. Jordi patted him on the back before giving him a push forward. "Are you going to tell me what's inside?"

"Why do you always want to ruin the fun? Come on, Pearce. For once in your life, take a step into the unknown. You might find something you like," Jordi said as he walked up to the bouncer and flashed his phone. "My friend and I would like to get in, unless that's a problem."

The behemoth of a man looked at the phone and his face seemed to pale. He stepped aside, letting the pair inside. Aiden raised a brow questioningly but got no response so he didn't push the subject. They walked through another set of double doors and Aiden stopped in his tracks. He could stare in awe at everything around him.

The music was loud and bass-y but it was setting the right mood. the lights overhead were flashing and changing colors. The women that were dancing were indeed beautiful, though none caught his eye. He glanced over at the bar and took in all the people that were gathered around it. There was a pretty girl behind the counter. She was dancing to beat with the mixer in her hands. Even Jordi was sitting down and watching her with a sly grin. Aiden shook his head.

"I thought we came here for something," He mumbled to himself as he walked over to the bar and tapped Jordi's shoulder. The Asian man looked over at him. "Are we here for the girl? If not, then let's get the hell out."

"Sit down, Pearce. Take a load off and a have drink. I promise you won't regret it," The fixer said as he waved the girl over. She walked like the ground beneath her was water. Slowly and with a purpose. There was a bit of a sway to her hips that was hypnotic.

"How can I help, gentlemen?" Her smile was sweet and it reached her eyes, giving them a bit of a glow.

"Yeah, how about a cold one for my friend here and a dance for me, sweetheart?" Aiden thought the woman would beat his friend down but instead a cold bottle was placed in front of him and she hopped over the bar with ease. "Enjoy your drink. It's on me. Now I'm going to go enjoy mine."

The hacker groaned and rolled his eyes but popped the cap off his beer and knocked back a few sips. It was a pretty good brew. He took this time to steal another glance around the club. He finally noticed the DJ that was on the second floor. What really caught his eye was the fact that the person's face was hidden behind a glowing rat mask.

_Who the fuck wears a rat mask?_ He thought as he took another sip of his beer and looked over at the dance floor. Jordi was easy to spot since he was the only one in this place that was wearing a suit. He seemed to be enjoying himself. The bartender had her body pressed against his, her back against his chest. His hands were drifting further down along her sides until they rested on her hips and his face was hidden in her neck. He noticed she wasn't protesting as her hand reached up and rested on his head, the other vanished between their bodies.

_I knew I shouldn't have gotten out of bed today._

* * *

"You going to put that knife away, sweetheart?" Jordi whispered against the skin of the bartender's neck. "Or do we have to take this out to the back?"

"I kind of figured that it was a gun in your pocket," The female murmured with a smirk. "And here I thought you were happy to see me."

"Oh, I'm very happy to see you and while I like to mix business and pleasure, my friend over there doesn't. He sees that and he'll come charging over here and the end result won't be pretty," Jordi said as he reached down to her hand. His fingers brushed against the blade that could have possibly made him less of a man. "And they say that diamonds are a girl's best friend."

"Well, blades are mine. Now, tell me something. What's a fixer like Jordi Chin doing in a place like this?" Jordi had to give her credit. She wasn't stupid.

"I'm here to introduce the fox and the rat. I was hoping for a little help, sweetheart. I've noticed the way you keep looking up towards the set. You know him?" The fixer questioned as his hand wrapped around hers and slowly pulled the blade away from between his legs.

"Let's say I am to him what you are to the Fox and then some. Come on, I'll bring you to the rat's lair. Just don't do anything stupid. He spooks easily," The bartender said as she pulled her hand away from his and tucked the blade back into her jeans. She started walking towards a set of stairs. Jordi grinned and waved his partner over. Aiden looked a bit frustrated and confused.

"What the hell was that? Why did she have a knife?" The hacker growled out.

"Were you actually worried about me? I knew it. You do care," Jordi said as followed the bartender. Aiden rolled his eyes. "She's going to take us to the piece of art I was telling you about." The pair ascended the stairs and when they came to the top they saw the girl was already talking to the DJ. There was a lot of hand motions.

"That mask is so stupid," Aiden mumbled. The man in said mask looked over at the hacker and then turned back to his set. Had the DJ heard him? Suddenly his phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket, glancing at it. A text message from some unknown number.

**From: Unknown**  
_Your face is stupid._

"You shouldn't insult his mask," The bartender said with a soft laugh. "Anyway, let's move to somewhere more private." She grabbed the DJ's arm and dragged him away to one of the private rooms. Jordi and Aiden followed. Once the door was shut introductions started.

"Gentlemen, my name is Alexandra Hunter and this is Defalt." The DJ removed the mask and revealed the face of a kid that still had to be in his 20's. He had dark hair with blue highlights, crystal blue eyes and a few piercings in his ears. The smirk on his face made Aiden want to punch him.

"What does this kid have to do with me? What does he have to do with anything?" Aiden turned on Jordi. "You said we were here for art."

"He is the art," Jordi said. "And he's your new partner."

That word 'partner' stirred up some pretty bad memories. He was reminded of a man named Damien Brenks, someone he thought he could trust. Someone who had taken him in and showed him another way to fight. They were great together and Aiden thought he finally found someone he could rely on. Instead Damien turned out to be just another greedy hacker. It was because of him that Lena was dead. Aiden shook his head and turned his back to the DJ.

"I'm not working with this kid. I don't deal with partners anymore. This was a waste of time," Aiden mumbled angrily. He started walking towards the door but a hand wrapped around his wrist, the grip was deadly. It was Jordi.

"Listen, Pearce. I know you had a bad experience but you gotta let that shit go. You need someone who is going to have your back out there. Who better than another hacker and his uh, lady friend." It wasn't even a question but a statement. "Come on, you don't even have to pay them."

The hacker looked over at Defalt and the girl, Alexandra. They were both young and they looked dumb but if Jordi had taken the time to find him a new partner then they must have been really good at what they did. The fixer didn't waste time or money on things that weren't useful. He sighed,

"How good are you?"

"Good enough to tell you that we've already given Jordi a lead," Alexandra said with a smile.

"Really?" Aiden looked over at Jordi but the Asian fixer didn't respond. "Where's this lead?"

"Do you like baseball, Aiden?" Defalt asked with a smirk.


End file.
